William morgenstern



W. MORGENSTERN.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm` No. 87,190. `Pe'fented Feb. 23,1869.

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Leners Paten: NQ. 87,190, daad Mmm/ryV 23, 1869.

IIVIPROVNIENT IN BREECH-LOADING- FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent. and making parl: of the name.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM MoRGnNsTERN, of New York, New York county, in the State of New4 York, have inventedA certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Guns and -I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in breech-loading, and has for its objects to simplify and render more efficient, economic, and in every way more desirable, this character of nre-arms.

To enable those skilled iu the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe'the construc- -tion and operation` of one of my improved breech-load ing guns, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a similar sectional view, but with the breech-piece thrown up; t

Figure 3 is a detailtop view;

Figure 4 is a detail side view, illustrating the closing of the breech;

, Figure 5 is a 'detail view, showing the form of rear end of breech-piece; and

Figure 6 is a detail view'or section at o: x, fig. 1,

showing form of rear portion of breech-frame or receiver.

In the several gures I have designated the same part by the same letter of reference. v

A is the fiame or breech-piece receptacle;

B is the barrel;

' O, the stock;

D, the guard; and

E, the 'hinged or swinging breechfbloek.

The barrel B may be screwed into the forward end of the frame A, as clearly shown, and these parts, together with the stock and guard, may be arranged and united in the usual manner.

The breech-block E is` hinged, at its upper forward portion, (immediately in rear of the barrel.)v to thel frame A, by means of a stud or pin, c, passing through the projections or'ears l l, and is provided with a suitable gas-plug, t, which, when the breech-blockis closed, forms the breech of the charge-chamber, or supportfor the rear end of the cartridge, as clearly seen at iig. 1.

Within the swinging breech-block E is arranged to` slide longitudinally, in suitable bearings, the hammer-y pin or firing-pin F, which is actuated by a spiral spring, s, and the forward end of Whichmay be reduced in diameter, and allowed to pass through the gas-plug t, as shown, so as to strike the centre of the base of the cartridge, or said forward end of said pin may be otherwise shaped, if deemed-expedient to adapt it to other kinds of cartridges.

1 and 2 are half-cock and full-cock notches of the hammer or firing-pin F; and

o n is a spring-sere, which takes into said notches, aud holds the said pin F, back until letvoil1 by the trigger h, which is pivoted ati in such a .manner that vwhen its Vlower end is pulled back, its upper end will pull down the spring-sere o n, and withdraw the latter from the notches of pin F. v

The trigger his provided with a spring, m, and the screw, which secures vthe end of said spring to the lower side' of frame A, passes up through said frame, and is bevelled off at x, (see iig. 1,) in such a manner as to form an inclinedplane, over 4which the empty cartridge-case rides, and by which it is lifted, as will be presently explained.

The firing-pin F is'formed with an enlargement or dog, g, about equal in thickness to the diameter of said pin F, and consequently capable of sliding back and forth through the slot or opening in the housing or breech-portion, a a, of the frame A; and said pin F is also enlarged, at j, to fit the cut-under or enlarged opening at M of the housing, as and for ,purposes to be presently explained.

c is a handle or hand-piece, projecting from one side of the dog, as shown, for conveniently pulling back or cooking the hammer or firing-pin, and lifting and closing the swinging or vibrator-y breech-block E.

Upon the axis or pin c, on which the block E turns, is hung the cartridge-extractor and ejector W, which is so formed and operated, as will be presently explained, as to withdraw 'and eject the empty cartridge-shell,

`when the breech E is swung'up to reload the arm.

6 is the ejector-spring, which, together with its setscrew J, is arranged within the enlargement L of the frame A.

The mode of operation of my improved gun, in firing, maybe thus briefly explained:

We will suppose the gun to have been loaded and fired, the parts would then be in the relative positions illustrated at fig. 1. 110 reload and fire, the operator must take hold of the dog-handle e, pull back the hammer or firing-pin to the cock-notch, and swing up the breech-block E, as seen at iig. .2. As the breech-block is swung up, the shoulder 8, ofthe portion c2, comes in contact with the shoulder 9 of the extractor w,and

carrying it along with it, in its rotation aboutthe axis v c, causes said extractor to force back and out of the charge-chamber the emptycartridge-case.

lhe lvolute spring 6, it will be seen, presses against the extractor W, in such a manner, before said extractor is moved by the swinging breech-block, `(see fig. 1,) as to -tend to retain said extractor in thg position seen at iig. l, but after the said extractor'has been turned so far on its axis, as to bring thepoint against which spring 6 bears below a right line passing. through the said axis and the centre of screw J, the said spring then presses upon the said extractor in such a manner as to force the extractor into the position illustrated at fig. 2; and since this effect on the extractor W is pro- ',duced suddenly by the strong spring 6, and after the empty case has been loosened from the rear end of b'arrel, the said empty shell will be suddenly and violently ejected or expelled backward from the charge-chamber and, striking the inclined projection n: in its backward flight, will be thrownl clear of the gun.

I prefer to make the spring 6 in a volute form, and the set-screw J with a teal entering within and steadyiugthe spring, but a plain spiral spring maybe employed, with its end properly straightened out to operate on the ejector W. A

The obje-ct and advantage of the set-screw'J are to increase the effectiveness, as it loses its elasticity, or as circumstances may require.

If the spring be madesuiiciently long, and properly encased in the portion L, it may break inone or two places and stillbe kept elfective by crowdingthe portions together bythe screw J.

The. abutment or rear portion of frame A', which extends up in rear of the breech-block (see figs. 3, 4,)

E, isv slotted out so as to permit the lifting outof the pin F, and the free passage back and forth of the dogportion g,- but the said pin F is enlarged laterally, below the dog gand on each side, as seen at f, and the housing or rear-portion of frame A is cut under, as seen at M, Ahr the accommodation of said portion j, that the whole firing-pin, dog, project-ion f, and all, may be free to move back and forth. in the operations of cooking and iiring the gun.

A nd it will be understood that so long as the enlarged portion f is within or partially in the opening M, the said portion f, and consequentlythe firing-pin and breech-block, will be held down Aby the overhanging ears a.' a", (see figs. 1, 2, 3, 6,) and that it is only when the hammer is pulled clear back, as seen at figs. 2 and 4, that the breech-block can be raised. Thus, by means of the enlarged portion f, andcutting under the slotted-out portion of the frame, as seen at M, theV dogand firing-pin .are prevented from lifting, except whenv drawn back,and are at the same time free to slide back and forth.

In order to securely lock` the breech-block E to the firing-pin, to keep the Atwo down together, the rear end of block Eis cut out, as shown at 4, 5, iig. 5, and the forward-end of enlargement f fits into said cut-away portion, Ithus coupling the breech-block and, rear porti'on of frame together. And to more firmly hold the said block down, I propose tn .form lrhev dog g, which is made solid with the firing-pin, so as to lap over the top of said breech-block, as shown at fig. 1.

The housing is cut out at M, and so shaped otherwise that the fixing-pin and dog cannot move forward until the breech-block isl clear down to its seat, the enlarged portion f bearing against the rear faces of ears a a, (see figs. 4, 6,) until the breech is clear down.

By reason of this mode of construction and opera- "tion, I am enabled to successfully employthe ringtion f hard against the ears a a", and press down dn the hand-piece e, (when I want to re,) until the por- .t-ion f can 'slide through opening M.

This operation can be veryeasily performed, and in this way I have been able to easily and accurately aim and fire my improved arm,even'with the sere o n, and

. trigger, and spring h and m, all detached from the gun.

'lIt will be seen that' by my invention the great desiderata of simplicity, efficiency, durability, economy of manufacture, lightness, and capacityl to be quickly `-loaded and fired, are all attained to a greater degree than by any breech-loading gun heretofore made.

It will be seen that the motions of the hand neces- 'isary to manipulate the arm are fewer and more convenient than those required with other breech-loading guns, embodying all the operations necessaryto extract and expel. the empty shell, load, and re. l

The lock-mechanism, except the trigger, being all encased within the breech-block, is protected from all causesl of derangement, and is'kept in a clean and operative condition.

Having explained the construction and operation of my improvedbreech-loading gun, so that one skilled in the art can make and use it,

What I claim therein as new, and 'desire to secure 1. 'Ihe counter-sink 4.5, in rear end of breech-block, in combination with the enlarged portion fof firingpin, and slotted housing, the-whole arranged to operate vsubstantially as described, for the purpose set forth,

2. In combination with the swinging breech, hammer, and housing a a", the overlapping dog g, and enlargement f, the whole arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the ejector W, the spiral spring 6 and set-screw J, the whole arranged to operate substantially vas'and for the purpose'set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my ,hand and seal, this 28th day1 of February, 1868.

WILLIAM MORGENSTERN. [L s.]

' Witnesses:

J. N MCINTIRE, OHAs. A. SCOTT. 

